Blade magazine



May 23, 1950 N. TEST! BLADE MAGAZINE- Filed 061'. 14, 1946 Fig.3.

Patented May 23,]950

UNITED STATESTPATEI BLADE MAGAZINE Nicholas Testi, Boston, Mass assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass., a cornotation of Delaware Application October 14, 1946, Serial No. 703,266

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to magazines or receptacles for safety razor blades of the type designed to contain a convenient number of blades disposed in a stack and held securely and without contact of the cutting edges of the blades with the walls of the receptacle while the blades are contained therein or while being withdrawn, one by one, for use. I n I The device of my invention may be employed as a reservoir for a supply of sharp blades by the user, or it may be employed as a dispensing receptacle in which the blades are packed by the manufacturer and distributed to the trade, or for both uses. 7

Heretofore, many blade magazines have been designed to eject a blade much as an empty shell is ejected from a magazine rifle. The snappy discharge of the blade pleases many users and encourages them to draw liberally on the supply of fresh blades in the magazine. However, this system has the objectionable feature that a sharp blade may be thrown or may fall upon the floor where it is likely to be overlooked by the user or picked up by children.

It has been proposed to overcome these disadvantages by providing means for temporarily holding each blade, as delivered, in convenient position after it has been separated from the other blades in the stack and projected from the magazine. For example, the blade may be held projecting into space so that the user may conveniently and safely, and whenever convenient, take hold of it for the purpose of placing it in his safety razor.

.However, if the blade-ejecting feed slide is abruptly arrested at the end of its path while directly engaged by the fingers of the user, the fingers will slip forwardly from the feed slide and be cut by the edgeof the blade as it projects from the end of the magazine. This danger is obviated in accordance with the present invention by providing the feed slide with an elongated operating handle of such length that it may be grasped by the fingers of the user in a location in advance of the end of the blade. If there is any slipping of the users fingers from such a handle, it is in a direction away from the sharp edges of the blade instead of toward them. Where a handle of this kind is employed in a magazine which is constructed and arranged to deliver blades from both ends, the connection between the handleand the blade preferably includes means for causing the handle to assume a substantially horizontal position on one side or the other of the feed slide. This not only locates the handles conveniently for. use in the blade-ejecting operation but keeps th ma a ine a s m l n com a m the , illustration is adapted particularly for use in connection with safety razor blades of a well-known commercial type; that is to say, thin, flexible blades .004 to .007 inch-in thickness, longitudinally slotted, and having corner notches defining elongated unsharpened end portions in the blade as in the blades sold commercially under the trade mark Gillette. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to that or to any specific kind of blade but with appropriate modifications may be easily adapted to blades of other kinds, all within the scope of the invention.

The magazine herein shown comprises walls forming an elongated rectangular enclosure. These include a bottom I0, side walls H and I2, and inturned top flanges I3 and M, which are spaced from each other and thus present a wide longitudinal opening. In the bottom of the enclosure is secured, by rivets or otherwise, a base plate l5 moulded of plastic material or formed of metal, as desired. From the base plate projects a central upstanding blade-locating rib I6 and a pair of flat blade-locating studs ll arranged in alignment with the rib l6. Corner posts l8 also project upwardly from the base plate l5, and these terminate a short distance below the top flanges l3 and I4 so as ,to permit the endwise movement of a single blade above them sliding in contact with the flanges.

At each end of the enclosure and beyond the blade-locating studs I! may be provided a fulcrum block l9 presenting an upper fulcrum surface 20 which slopes outwardly and upwardly from below the plane of the inner face of the top flanges 13 and M to a level above that plane.

. As herein shown, the fulcrum block is solid in 6 acaho d ns tnewerilly sq heti upgermos the magazine.

7 7 feed slide in such 'a-ma ner' as to fobvi blade in the stack is pressed into contact with the lower faces of the flanges l3 and I4. By

reason of its slot or fork, the spring 2I' clears v the rib I6 and the studs l1.

A feed slide 22 is arranged to slide longitudinally upon the magazine, having for this ur pose sidewalls which embrace the side walls of slide 22 may be provided with a pair of downwardly-extending ribs 23, so designed ears ranged, as to engage only the uppermost blade in the stack as the blade is accurately debated-at the level determined by the-interned flanges Q 3 and I4. Stop lugs 24 project from the flanges I3 and I4 and positively limit the mement oi definite predetermined length.

The bridge portion of the feed the blade-ejecting operation this relationship is maintained as suggested in Fig. 2. The result is that the users fingers, grasping the fingerpiec'e zflpa re always in advance of the end of the "lolade. If theffeed slide is abruptly arrested, the

"the feed slide 22 confining it to a path ofa V The present magazine is of the general type of that cshow-n'in my :prior rRaitent .No. 2,859g8d7 "in the "blades of the stack are arranged in longitudinally staggered relation. This is adtraritageous because provides the maximum working space and clearance for the operation of theifeed slide. It=should be noted again, however, that the means for ioeating the blades of,

the :stack andseparating the individual blades in the feeding operation are matters of secondary importance eiilyahdmay bewidely varied w'ithin the scope r the mvenheh. 7

In Fig. the 'feed slide 22 is =shd-Wn at one extremity 'bf its path in readiness rormevemeht tcwa the 'righttoeject the uppermesit bl'adj 25 irohrthe tack. "The stack may comprise to tidiiity blades, each I having a -l(iii'g -it'i-ltiin afl "dial sat with intermediate ernargemeiits therein,

in which are received the lib 1 6' and the stir-ids T1, and {elongated unsharpened end portions defined by corner notches. In 'its movement *tothe right, the uppermost blade is engaged by the ribs "'23 of the feed slide, advanced-'end wi'se while held in contact withand guidedjby the "flanges l3 and f4. "In itsjfee'ding movement, the advancing end o'f the blade 25 encounters the inclined fulcrum surface 20 of thelilock 19 and 'ri'desup thereon,

thus -co-operat-i-ng with the ribs le -arid 141 in. transversely bowing the blade. 'E'J'ectionoithe blade int s condition conti'riuesfuntil the feed slide 22 is 'arr'ested"*by;-contact with the ste lugs idat the endo'jf the magazine; the blade having rur1y c1eared "the last m eocating stud r1.

In this "movement, the 'blade passed'outwardly between the tops 'o'ffthe posts fl 8 the under side 'the flanges '13 and 14, being maintained always iirthe transverselybowedconditiqn s own in Fig.2. The' s'tops-fi are so located thattlre feed slide is arrested bfore the Blirtlehabeen moved entirely beyond the fulcrum'surface -21! and the ends of the fla ges-13 r4. *Tripthe'r words, the blade is brought est its rear endclearer-stud f1 andhe'ld f ri tionaflly in trans V versely bowed condition and "so*projijectsifree1y beyond the end or "the magazine in a pos tion v' e it may The m i r as ed. b user and withdrawn 'frictioria'lly' rom its ro= .event'tha-t the blade-ejecting or delivering, shake of the fe'ed'slide is abruptly or unexpectedly in i terrupted. *I'n these figures, the feed slide fl i's shown as being provided with -apair of eiterri'al "bearings-'26, w en Me -formed by slifn'g 'st-nd user'sfiheers tend to slip off in a forward direction with notendency to approach the blade.

When thesafety handle feature of my invention is embodied in a double-ended magazine, the handle is arranged to beswung 180 between consecutive blade-deliveringioperations. Accordinglythecross-piece zsxor the handleimay be slightly bowed and act as a spring, causing th'e handle to be thrown either into the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 :or into an oppositely directed horizontal position when the feed slide is to be moved to deliver a blade from the righthand end of the magazine. The safetyha'ndle is thus held-automatically in one position or the other-,'mal ring the magazine assembly compact at an times and properly locating the handle for operating the feed sl-i'de ineither "direction ac carding to which end of the magazine the blade is torbe delivered from.

' 'It will be understood that the safety 'handle may be usefully employed with er'wahea the uljmumb oc J 7 Having thus disclosed my invention and dew scribed "in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, Ijclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent: g J w '1 A blade magazine having walls forming open-end enclosure, inturned "flanges at one end thereof, a fulcrum block disclosed 'beljow .theplane 01 i a' d fl i i fe slide imova un t emclosure 'for advancing a bladetherefibm, and an operating 'handle'movalbly connected to the feed slide outside the enclosureand being off a length to bv es d fu c um q k wh n t ee s i occupies its initial'rpo sition at one end of the" nl u e, w reb e n e f h use: meas es the handlelmove always'in advance :of ablade it is ejected fromthe magazine.

2- A la ma az ne ha ins' 'a ls if w m n ir e tan l 'en lqsur w h gab a i exitfs a 914 an a e l emo aib b ha d th. an thf edema a a h nged s e. fe e d t he feed s f d f z emja l of t j In u e. and ains 1 f S h. 'i ee e jasltobverli. .e' bst e ll the wn-me enclosur when he'i eefi sl d occu ies s ini ia Pos tio at nee d 1 th enclosure. he eb t e fin ers o ;'the us gneas'in the handle m'o've alwaysin advance of thbladeias it seiected fro t is m a ine 7 A b ade m gaz ne names/as formin e t gula en o ure w th whe t ot at chase attac or sl t l afis vi hi t m sin r f fl l am abl Q it E ..1 S J fi" vance one blade, at a time ffroni the Staci; cut

' wardly "from one endbf the enclosure, an'da'n elongated handle connected at itsfihner end to the feedslideexternal-lyof the enclosure and of suchlle'rig-th as to ove'fli'e a bladeas "it passes out thrbugh the exit "slot, Whereby'thefirigers of the user engaging the handle meveaiwass in advance bf we rew e; T fizirbi fth inia azm 4. A- blade magazine having exit slots at-both ends, a feed slide movable on the magazine to eject blades alternately from its opposite ends, and a handle pivotally connected to the feed slide externally of the enclosure and including means in its said connection for throwing the handle into substantially horizontal position on one side or the other of the feed slide, whereby the fingers of the user engaging the handle move always in advance of the blade as it is ejected from'the magazine.

5. A blade magazine having walls forming a rectangular enclosure with a blade exit in one end and an open medial slot in its top, blade positioning means within the enclosure, a stack of blades therein, a feed slide movable to engage the uppermost blade in the stack through the medial slot of the magazine top, and a handle pivotally mounted on the feed slide externally of the enclosure to swing substantially 180, whereby the fingers of the user engaging the handle move always in advance of the blade as it is ejected from the magazine.

6. A blade magazine having walls forming a rectangular enclosure, a feed slide movable in the top of the magazine and being shaped to engage and feed blades in either of two directions, and a handle pivotally mounted on the feed slide externally of the enclosure and arranged to be swung so as to overlie a blade being advanced'in either direction by the feed slide and to extend beyond the end of the blade while it is being fed, whereby the fingers of the user engaging the handle move always in advance of the blade as it is ejected from the magazine.

7. A blade magazine including a walled blade enclosure having an exit opening at one end. blade-locating means inside said enclosure adapted to receive a stack of blades and hold them with their cutting edges spaced from walls of said enclosure, and a manually-operable blade-pushing member slidable in the longitudinal direction of said blades and having an abutment portion driv ingly engageable with the uppermost blade of said stack at a region rearwardly in a longitudinal sense with respect to the leading end portion of the blade-cutting edge, said blade-pushing member including a readily manually graspable pullportion located externally of the enclosure and adapted to be seized with the users fingers, said pull-portion extending in advance of said blade cutting-edge, thereby operatively to locate the users said fingers ahead of said blade cuttingedge during withdrawal of that blade from the magazine.

8. A blade magazine including an elongated walled blade enclosure having exit openings at both ends, blade loading means inside said enclosure adapted to receive a stack of blades and hold them with their cutting edges spaced from walls of said enclosure, and a manually-operable blade-pushing member slidable to-and-fro in the longitudinal direction of said blades to eject blades alternately through said exit openings, said blade-pushing member including a readily manually-graspable pull element. pivotally connected to said blade-pushing member externally of the enclosure and adapted to be seized with the users fingers, said Dull element extending in advance of the cutting edge of the blade being ejected during each successive stroke of said blade-pushing member.

NICHOLAS TESTI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,112,190 Beazley Sept. 29, 1914 2,330,252 Testi Sept. 28, 1943 2,363,908 Stampleman Nov. 28, 1944 

